Also fairly near the Bombeiros heliport - you may even see the occasional helicopter fly over Santa Comba Dão.

The climate in Santa Comba Dão is not as hot as the Algarve, but it's still plenty hot enough in the height of summer, so please still be careful, wear a hat and slap on the sun block.

Freshwater Lake Aguieira - you can avoid the Atlantic ocean, which can often be rough and dangerous. In the Algarve, and up the western coast of Portugal, often red flags are flying and swimming is impossible. Not a problem here! Any waves are small, ideal for canoeing, and the water is clear and safe to drink. Plenty of lake shore to choose from - you can easily find your own private beach if you wish, or share one with some friendly locals. In places the beaches can be a little steep so shoes (e.g. "Crocs") are sometimes better than flip-flops.

Easy roads - good tarmac all the way from all three international airports right to the front door, no cobbles or narrow villages to squeeze through. If you want to drive for maybe 75 minutes to the coast at Figueira da Foz, you can swim in the Atlantic on a hundred kilometres of sandy beach that extends from Nazaré all the way north, almost to the Spanish border. Praia de Mira is recommended, easy to get to and the closest sea beach.

Relatively flat surroundings, great for cycling (basic bikes are available free) and for sightseeing, but if you want to drive for maybe 45 minutes up to Torre at the top of the Serra da Estrela, you can have spectacular views from an astonishing 6,500 feet up in the mountains!

A co-operative adega (winemakers) on the way into town. Excellent locally-produced wine from local vineyards in the Dão region may be purchased for astonishingly low prices, e.g. €1 per litre, though if you want the really good stuff you may have to pay a few cents more.

In fact there are lots of other reasons to visit the area - see more here, and for full details of the house itself and its facilities, click here.